Douro Continent

Chapter 42 The First Soul Ring of Blue Silver Grass (Part 4)

The Mandala Serpent's speed and strength were far beyond Tang San's current capabilities. As its head lunged forward, Tang San used the Ghost Shadow Step technique, his body swaying slightly as he moved three feet laterally. Tang San knew he only had one chance; if he failed, the Mandala Serpent would never fall for his trick again.

At the critical moment, Tang San made a decisive move, channeling almost all of his Xuan Tian Gong power into his hands. Blue light flickered in his palms, and with a quick inhale and exhale from his left hand, his body shifted position once again under the influence of the Ghost Shadow Illusion.

The Mandala Snake suddenly felt a suction force coming from the side of its head, and its head turned uncontrollably. At this moment, because it had pounced on Tang San, its mouth was wide open and about to close.

A beam of blue light appeared out of nowhere, silently waiting there. Just as the mandala serpent turned its head, just before its mouth closed, *poof*—

The nearly four-meter-long snake body stiffened almost instantly as the twelve-foot-long short sword was completely embedded in its mouth. The next moment, the datura snake's body began to move violently, and in an instant, sand and stones flew everywhere. Wherever its hard body swept across, whether bushes or small trees, they were as if they had been baptized by a tornado, with branches and leaves torn and scattered in all directions.

After unleashing that powerful thrust, Tang San used his Ghost Shadow Steps to retreat swiftly, narrowly dodging the Mandragora Serpent's sweeping tail. Knowing that even a centipede doesn't die instantly, Tang San, with his profound understanding of snakes, never assumed the Mandragora Serpent would perish immediately.

"Little San!" The master's urgent call startled Tang San awake. He knew that everything he had just done had inevitably been revealed to the master. His soul did not belong to this world, and clearly, all of this could not be known to anyone. What to do?

Kill the master to silence him? Tang San believed that, given the power and unique nature of the Silent Sleeve Arrow, he was at least 70% certain he could do it; Luo Sanpao was already incapable of attacking. But how could he possibly do that? The master was his teacher, and although they had only known each other for a few days, he had already earned Tang San's genuine respect. He had no choice but to lie.

Tang San deliberately stumbled and fell to the ground.

The master reached out and scooped Tang San up. After all, he was a level 29 Great Soul Master. Although his martial soul was somewhat inferior, his soul power was still considerable. He grabbed Tang San and asked, "Little San, how are you?"

"Teacher, that scared me to death! Why didn't the snake chase after us?"

The master stared at the horrific destruction the mandala snake was causing and scolded, "Why did you suddenly let go? Do you know how dangerous that was?"

In truth, the master didn't see as much as Tang San had imagined. After all, it was the dead of night, and the master didn't possess the visual abilities of Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes. In the darkness, the master only vaguely saw Tang San's body stagger backward and the glint of light on the blue short sword. As for the crisp sound of the hidden arrow striking the Salamander, the master didn't even notice it.

"I don't know what happened. My hands were sweaty, and I think I suddenly slipped. Teacher, I was swinging the short sword you gave me around, and I think I stabbed the snake."

Taking Tang San's hand, the master saw that his palm was indeed covered in cold sweat. He could guess that Tang San had stabbed the Mandragora Serpent, and it was very likely that he had stabbed its vital point. Otherwise, how could such a fierce, vicious, and vengeful spirit beast suddenly stop chasing?

"Don't go over there, wait and see. Snake-type spirit beasts have extremely strong vitality and are not so easy to kill."

Tang San was panting heavily, and this wasn't something he was faking; he was genuinely exhausted.

Facing such a powerful soul beast as the Hundred-Year Mandala Serpent, he had already used all his strength in that instant. If the Crane Control Dragon Capture had not pulled the Mandala Serpent's head towards him, the outcome would have been completely different.

After this harrowing experience, Tang San secretly resolved that upon returning, he must find a way to arm himself as much as possible. Before mastering the Mysterious Heaven Skill, various mechanical hidden weapons were clearly the best choice, as they were also Tang San's forte.

The master and apprentice stood at a distance, observing cautiously. The datura snake gradually calmed down from its hysterical and frantic struggles, its body twisting and turning on the ground, shattering all the plants and revealing the soil beneath.

The master gave Tang San a precious sword, only 1.2 feet long, but long enough to pierce the brain of the Mandragora Snake. That was a fatal wound.

As the struggles of the Mandragora Serpent grew weaker and weaker, the master finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, the expression on his face began to change, gradually turning from panic to ecstasy. "Great! This is truly wonderful! Little San, your spirit ring has been secured!"

"Teacher, what did you say? You're not talking about this snake, are you?" Tang San looked at the master in surprise.

The master nodded seriously. "That's right, it's this one. Before a Mandragora Snake reaches a thousand years of cultivation, its body grows one centimeter for every year it lives. This Mandragora Snake is already nearly four meters long, which means it has nearly four hundred years of cultivation. It's just close to the limit for a Soul Master to absorb their first Soul Ring. With your innate full Soul Power, absorbing its Soul Ring will be no problem at all."

"But, teacher, my spirit is a plant, while this Mandragora Snake is a beast-type spirit beast. Can I make it my spirit ring? Won't it cause a conflict?" Tang San asked doubtfully.

(End of this chapter)